Deloraine School held its 2018 Graduation on Monday, June 25. The Doc Bonar Arena was transformed into an elegant setting for the occasion. The ham and meatball supper catered by the Hartney Ladies was delicious and enjoyed by all.

Paul Artz was the emcee for the evening. “I met all of these kids in Grade 8 – and they are such a good class there’s hardly a story to tell.” He invited Matt Palmer to give a toast to the class.

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“I don’t know everything about this class, but I do know one thing — nothing happens until Tori says it’s ok,” he joked.

“It’s important to recognize and celebrate milestones like graduation because times passes too quickly. Today is a major turning point for you. I am excited by your qualities and character and I really look forward to seeing what kind of adults you become.”

“Life isn’t always easy, you may not get your dream job right away and you might not get rich, but I hope what you do is worthwhile. The best advice I can offer after a failure (and you will have them), is twofold — and they are two things you can control:

Hard Work —Decide how hard you need to work to attain your goals and do the work

Attitude — every day you can decide if you are going to snarl or smile – it’s up to you

“Ultimately it is up to you to decide what the quality of your life will be by hard you work and a good attitude to go with it. Treat others with dignity. If you fail — work harder or change your path.”

Haley Teetaert gave the toast to the teachers. Mason Bailey and Jack Kelm gave the toast to the girls and Tori Maxwell and Haley Wickham gave the toast to the boys.

• • •

Award Ceremony

Following supper and toasts, the graduates donned their graduation robes and caps and processed to the stage. Mrs. Carolyn Cory, superintendent brought greetings from the South West Horizon School Division. She encouraged the grads to be like Dr. Seuss’s Horton the Elephant. Horton endures many hardships but continues to be patient, he cares about others, has a big heart and respectful compassion. All these traits help Horton get through the rough patches and to triumph in the end.

A slide show presentation of the graduates was enjoyed by all — growing from little people into young adults. It leaves one to wonder how the years went by so fast.

Teacher Jill Patmore was asked by the graduates to be the guest speaker. She had four segments of advice she took from her own life experiences.

“First of all, life won’t turn out the way you expect it to. You need to have a Plan B, and probably a Plan C and Plan D isn’t a bad thing either.

“Secondly, you never know what light you might spark in others just through your kindness and your example. Coming to Deloraine and joining this community saved me. The people in my life here inspired me to come back to life, while never knowing that’s what they were doing. They were just kind. Don’t ever forget that your words and your actions will have a lasting effect on others, even when you don’t mean for them to.

“Thirdly, you never know what battles people are fighting. It’s better to err on the side of kindness because at some point, you too will face circumstance you never saw coming. You’ll want people on your side when they do.

“Finally, where you end up in life is your responsibility. You control your future. No one owes you anything. Work hard for what you want in this life. You deserve to be happy. You deserve a life you’re excited about. Don’t let others make you forget that.

“I’d like to thank the class of 2018 for inviting me to speak at their graduation. I want to acknowledge how incredibly lucky I have been to work with them, and how grateful I am to the parents, families and community who have helped to raise them. Never forget or neglect your support network. You are so lucky to be loved as much as you are.”

This was followed by the Valedictory Address by Tori Maxwell. She spoke about each of her classmates — how they touched her life and how much she will miss everyone.

Mrs. Teresa Dillabough made a Peer Support Presentation to Kale Rushing. She said the school formed a Deloraine School Per Support Team in 2016 and that the original team of four grew to seven this past school year. (See separate article for more on this).

The grads had the first dance with their escort/guest, followed by a dance with their parents.